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Interest rate liberalization and household investment in China

Author

Listed:
  • Lan, Jiajun
  • Peng, Zhiyu
  • Pan, Yinghao
  • Liu, Yihan

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the impact of interest rate liberalization on household investment behavior in China using data from the China Household Finance Survey from 2011 to 2019. We find that financial liberalization significantly increases the likelihood of households participating in financial markets and raises their holdings of riskier assets, driven by the wealth effect. This effect is more pronounced among higher-income, higher-asset, and better-educated households, without housing mortgages, as well as urban households. Our results highlight the importance of financial liberalization policies and provide new perspectives on the “limited participation puzzle” documented in emerging economies, where relatively few households actively invest in financial assets despite high expected returns. This study underscores how interest rate deregulation incentivizes household portfolio reallocation and promotes financial inclusion across socioeconomic groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Lan, Jiajun & Peng, Zhiyu & Pan, Yinghao & Liu, Yihan, 2024. "Interest rate liberalization and household investment in China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(PA).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:96:y:2024:i:pa:s1059056024006233
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iref.2024.103631
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Interest rate liberalization; Financial market participation; Wealth effect;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E43 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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